The invention generally relates to a deer repellent, and in particular the invention relates to a deer repellent composition which is transparent and can be applied to a wide range of surfaces and to a method for the use of such a composition.
The prior art deer repellent formulation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,070, issued Oct. 23, 1990 to the same inventor as this application. The prior art formulation consisted essentially of, by volume, 68 to 90% water; 6 to 10% thiram; 0.5 to 2% chicken eggs; 1 to 2% liquid hot sauce; 2 to 16% adhesive to aid in adhering to vegetation; and 0.5 to 2% coloring dye. The dye is necessary so the coating will blend in with the foliage.
One problem of the prior art deer repellent formulation is that, although the ingredients are common materials, it requires approval of the Environmental Protection Agency (xe2x80x9cEPAxe2x80x9d) which involves long and costly tests. Formulations of this type are applied by small companies, such as landscape gardeners, and the obtaining of approval from the EPA is financially prohibitive. This results in widespread destruction of homeowners"" landscaping because of the unfettered proliferation of deer in suburban areas. Further, the prior art materials have a limited effective life and the odor of the formulation can limit its acceptance. A further problem with the prior art compositions is that they require a colorant to hide their presence on the foliage.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved deer repellent formulation for application to a shrub, plant or the like which can be acceptable under EPA regulations.
Another object of the invention is to provide a deer repellent formulation more acceptable to humans.
Another object of the invention is to make use of EPA-approved components without reduction of the effectiveness of the treatment.
A still further object is to provide such a composition which is transparent.
Other objects and the advantages of the invention will appear from the following description.
According to the present invention, a non-toxic deer repellent formulation and method for its use are provided. The formulation is an aqueous solution or mixture consisting essentially of water and a composition comprising 5 to 20 ounce of Rosemary oil emulsion, 5 to 20 ounces of mint oil emulsion, zanthan gum as a thickener and sufficient water to make one gallon (128 ounces). If desired, the formulation can be modified by adding 10 to 30 ounces of white distilled vinegar, 10 to 30 ounces of dry eggs and one to fifteen teaspoons of table salt. The thickener can be added to give the composition the desired application characteristics. Typical would be 1 to 5% of the total composition of thickener. All of the percentages are by volume of the composition.
Prior to application to vegetation, the composition is diluted in a concentration of one part of repellant to approximately 5 to 15 parts water. The mixture is stirred until a uniform composition is obtained. The composition is sprayed with a fine nozzle power spray, on the foliage to be protected in about one gallon for each 35,000 square feet of foliage.
As an alternate procedure the composition can be impregnated into a rope with the rope being placed around the vegetation to be protected.